Wear Antimicrobial Masks Protection Against Viruses

 N95 Respirator and Disposable Surgical Masks are two types of masks most commonly used for protection against viruses, and both types are disposable.

Swine flu or H1N1, this generation’s global flu pandemic, is expected to return with vigor this fall. As school resumes and as people spend more time indoors with the colder weather, the spread of the illness is inevitable, and the U.S. Center for Disease Control (CDC) is braced for the worst. The government is pressing for vaccine manufacturers to speed up production before it is too late, and is trying to educate the public about ways to minimize the risk of infection.

Besides vaccination, there are some commonsense ways to avoid contracting the virus. One involves frequent hand washing, and use of hand sanitizers, especially before eating or touching one’s face. The other common recommendation is to avoid crowds. That is an amusing notion to us urbanites – wouldn’t we love to avoid a crowded subway car or elevator?

We have become accustomed to seeing photos of people in swine flu-infected areas of Mexico, Asia, and other places wearing surgical masks in order to avoid contagion. In the US, however, the CDC has given the public mixed signals on the question of face masks. On one hand, they have said there is no conclusive evidence to support the public using face masks. On the other hand, the CDC has said that masks can catch large respiratory droplets if someone sneezes close by, and thus the masks could be of value when going into crowded places. It also advises those who are sick and think they might have close contact with other people to consider wearing face masks.

In the U.S. there are two types of masks most commonly used for protection against viruses, and both types are disposable.

The N95 Respirator   filters out most small particles, such as dust, and can prevent the inhalation of small particles that contain viruses. However, they can be uncomfortable to wear and if not fitted properly, they will be much less effective as a prevention measure. Also, the N95 must be fitted tightly around the nose to create a seal, and that can make breathing difficult. The respirators are relatively costly, to say nothing of being ugly.

Disposable surgical masks also provide a reasonable amount of protection and they cost less. Reusable surgical masks can also be made out of washable cotton fabric, which, contrary to medical lore in the US, is not proven to be less effective as a protective measure. The fun part of reusable surgical masks is that they can be creatively designed and even used as fashion accessories. For the extra cautious, a fabric mask can be worn as an attractive or whimsical cover for a standard issue disposable mask.

For those of us in the heart of the city and elsewhere, being conscientious about taking precautions, and being considerate of others will go a long way in preventing and containing swine flu’s spread. Learning to make the best of a bad situation is essential.

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Technorati Tags: Disposable surgical masks, dust, fabric mask, face masks, global flu pandemic, inhalation, N95 respirator, respirators, respiratory droplets, swine flu-infected, vaccination

Tags: Disposable surgical masks, dust, fabric mask, face masks, global flu pandemic, inhalation, N95 respirator, respirators, respiratory droplets, swine flu-infected, vaccination

This entry was posted on Sunday, November 1st, 2009 at 10:32 pm and is filed under AntiMicrobial Masks. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.